In Justice, There's Love/Chapter Six
Advancing War is coming Do not back away Say your goodbyes now Today is the day POV: Thornstrike When Birdsong came back from her scouting, I led the apprentices back to camp to report to Snowstar. Moonflight wanted to come along, but I insisted that I do it alone. After all I was going to be deputy one day. "Snowstar? It's me, Thornstrike." I called out. "Come in." I pushed my way into Snowstar's den, and I mewed, "I have some bad news from today's training." I reported. Snowstar narrowed her eyes and flicked her tail for me to continue. "Apparently RushClan cats were heading through our territory, and they were headed towards the training camp. Or searching for it at least. I don't know how they found out that we had a training camp. I suggest watching out for a spy." "A spy?" Snowstar pressed her paws against the floor, obviously agitated, "Surely there could be other explanations on how they got the information?" I shrugged, "RushClan are rats. They probably manipulated one of our warriors or aprentices to tell them things. You know about forbidden love..." Snowstar nodded, "You're right, Thornstrike, I'll inform the Clan and see if we can track down the spy or traitor immediately." I dipped my head and ducked out of the den. Moonflight was waiting for me outside. "What did you tell Snowstar?" She asked as I bounded down to meet her. "Just the things we found, and I told her that I suspected that a spy was passing information to RushClan." I admitted, expecting to see rage and anger flash through her eyes at the thought of one of our Clanmates betraying us. Instead, fear flashed across her eyes. I narrowed my eyes, and she gasped, "You're saying somebody in StormClan isn't loyal?" She looked rather frightened, but it soon was covered by shock. I tried to study her expression, but all the traces of fear were gone, and plain shock was splattered across her face. "Yeah, it's a logical guess, Moonflight, how else would they find out about the camp? It's well guarded." "Maybe they...saw it?" I shook my head, "They couldn't have. The camp is so well guarded by the thick forests and undergrowth that you can't see anything. The mentors wouldn't have brought out the apprentices too far, so they should have been safe." Pausing, I let that sink in, "No, it had to be a spy." "Let all cats old enough to catch prey gather around the High Stones!" Snowstar's mew rang in the clearing. Cats came milling out of the dens, slowly gathering around their leader. "Thornstrike reported that RushClan cats have been scented and seen on our borders by our apprentices, and they had been heading towards the training camp, I will be taking a quick emergency patrol to evacuate the training camp and create a new one closer to camp." Snowstar reported. Yowls of outrage met her words, and she raised her tail for silence. "We have suspected that there is a spy, or a traitor passing information to the RushClan cats. If the RushClan cats find out where the new training camp is, we'll know for sure if there is a mole among our ranks." Murmurs of suspicion erupted from the Clan, and I felt Moonflight shiver next to me. Rainsong was crouched on my other side, her ears flat, "I can't believe anyone would pass information to filthy scum like RushClan." The gray she-cat muttered. "Agreed." Moonflight flattened her ears, and I glanced over at her. She looked nervous, almost tense. I didn't question her, if she had a problem with something she would tell me. "Thornstrike, Moonflight, Rainsong, Flarefoot, Frogleap, and Fawnsky," Snowstar called out, "Come with me." She turned and bounded out the entrance, followed by the rest of us. Rainsong kept pace with me, and I brushed against her, feeling more confident whenever the gray she-cat was around. She turned and gave me a small smile, and I returned it. The remainder of the trip was traveled in silence and with no exchanges. Snowstar raised her tail for the patrol to stop, and I slipped forward until I was standing on Snowstar's other side. Fawnsky occupied Snowstar's right side, since she was deputy, and as the acting deputy, I assumed the left side would be mine. Snowstar glanced over and gave me a nod. Rainsong came over by my side next, and Moonflight flanked Fawnsky. Frogleap and Flarefoot took the back, and Snowstar led the way through the dense undergrowth. Up ahead, we could hear rustling, and I could feel Rainsong tense against me. RushClan cats. I noted, kind of wishing that Snowstar had brought Birdsong along too. Flarefoot looked agitated, "We just sent Smokepaw and Shatterpaw over there, who knows what the RushClan cats will do to the young cats?" My stomach clenched at the thought of sending my own apprentice, Tigerpaw, over to RushClan's paws. Moonflight looked tense, while Rainsong looked...like Rainsong. I was grateful for her silent support, and I allowed myself to press closer to the she-cat. She wound her tail around mine, and I relaxed slightly. At least, in times of need, I will have Rainsong by my side. "Alright," Snowstar mewed quickly, "We're going to spread out and surround the area. Try to find a way in, we need to free the apprentices and mentors." Rainsong and I slipped forward, flanked by other warriors. "You check other there," Rainsong whispered, pointing towards the rocks that the apprentices would spar on, "I'll check over here." I nodded once to show that I acknowledged what she had said and crept towards the Training Rocks. Locating a small wedged hole, I poked my head in and realized that the RushClan cats weren't in the camp. There were only mentors that were eating prey, and a few apprentices grooming each other's fur. I bounded back to Snowstar and located Snowstar. "I believe we can go in and escort them out. The RushClan cats must have left awhile ago." "Let's wait for the others to repot back first." The StormClan leader instructed, sitting down and curling her tail. I waited with her as the others slowly came back, reporting things about the normalcy of the camp. "No signs of RushClan warriors near the camp." "There's a stale scent of the RushClan warriors, but no sign of them now." "The camp is definitely looking like it usually does, and the cats are living the normal life they should be living." Snowstar took in all this information and turned to talk with Fawnsky. I stood on the side, and Moonflight came over and whispered, "Don't feel upset now, Thornstrike, she will confide in you when the time comes." I nodded tersely. Finally, after what seemed like ages of discussing, Snowstar lifted her head and mewed, "We're going in to escort the apprentices out and move the camp." The small patrol cheered slightly, and Snowstar turned to head into camp. Moonflight's tail rested on my shoulder, then she slipped away to join Flarefoot. I sucked in my breath and plunged into camp alongside my Clanmates. At first, all we saw was cats milling about and doing their duties. As Snowstar began to move around, telling the cats what was going to happen, other cats stepped out of the den. RushClan cats. "Moving somewhere?"